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The welcome of God changes everything.No one is a stranger to loneliness. Despite how social we are via text, chat, and notifications, we are far from being truly connected. We all want someone else to really see us and choose us for who we are. We want a place to finally fit in. But what if finding the right people or the right place is not the answer?From her community-building background, Sarah E. Westfall takes our longing to belong as an invitation to embrace and extend the deep love of God. After years contemplating how she fit in and trying to earn acceptance, she realized "belonging is not something to attain, but someone to become." Through narrative, research, Scripture, and spiritual practice, she teaches how belonging is a way of being-a posture of welcome in the spirit of the Father who extends his arms to those returning and those who don't yet know they've resisted his love.Whether you understand the perspective of the outsider in need of acceptance well or you're eager to include, the barriers to belonging can come down as Sarah gently guides us toward deep connection--a connection where our humanity draws us closer to people and envelops us in the heart of God. Embark with Sarah on this challenge that will awaken your empathy and affirm you with the truth of these words: "You are welcome."Includes a two-session group guide.

Dallas Willard was a personal mentor and inspiration to hundreds of pastors, philosophers, and average churchgoers. His presence and ideas rippled through the lives of many prominent leaders and authors, such as John Ortberg, Richard Foster, James Bryan Smith, Paula Huston, and J. P. Moreland. As a result of these relationships and the books he wrote, he fundamentally altered the way tens of thousands of Christians have understood and experienced the spiritual life. Whether great or small, everyone who met Dallas was impressed by his personal attention, his calm confidence, his wisdom, and his profound sense of the spiritual. But he was not always the man who lived on a different plane of reality than so many of the rest of us. He was someone who had to learn to be a husband, a parent, a teacher, a Christ follower. The journey was not an easy one. He absorbed some of the harshest and most unfair blows life can land. His mother died when he was two, and after his father remarried he was exiled from his stepmother's home. Growing up in Depression-era, rural Missouri and educated in a one-room schoolhouse, he knew poverty, deprivation, anxiety, self-doubt, and depression. Though the pews he sat in during his early years were not offering much by way of love and mercy, Dallas, instead of turning away, kept looking for the company of a living, present, and personal God. In Gary W. Moon's candid and inspiring biography, we read how Willard became the person who mentored and partnered with his young pastor, Richard Foster, to inspire some of the most influential books on spirituality of the last generation. We see how his love of learning took him on to Baylor, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Southern California, where he became a beloved professor and one of the most versatile members of the philosophy department. The life of Dallas Willard deserves attention because he became a person who himself experienced authentic transformation of life and character. Dallas Willard not only taught about spiritual disciplines, he became a different person because of them. He became a grounded person, a spiritually alive person as he put them into practice, finding God, as he often said, "at the end of his rope." Here is a life that gives us all hope.

Crisis is an opportunity to stop trying harder and begin embracing adaptability. In this first volume in the Practicing Change Series, Tod Bolsinger explores how the upheaval you find yourself in can reframe your leadership and revive your team. When your church or nonprofit needs fresh vision, take these steps to learn how to lead anew.

We are in a season of church meltdown. John, writing to churches caught in leadership failures, church splits, and a powerful leader stirring up dissent, has a message for us today. This six week Bible study experience invites us to become a community that brings love, hope, and healing to every darkened space.

Greatness is overrated.People tend to measure success by worldly standards. We assume that greatness comes from charisma, influence, and followers. But God cares more about our character than about what people around us think of our reputations.Pastor Jae Hoon Lee challenges us not to pursue greatness but to grow in goodness. Jesus called his followers to cultivate character of goodness, not to aspire to positions of power. The faithful Christian life is one that seeks to become good. These reflections and meditations on the good Christian life unpack what it means for the church to live in obedience and faith, to strip away ambitious self-glorification, and to instead live humble lives of goodness and love.

Have you ever tasted true freedom?Russell Joyce was born with a rare craniofacial disorder called Goldenhar syndrome, where the left side of his face was not formed. Years of patchwork surgeries made him more outwardly presentable, but not without deep pain and physical and emotional scars. But a life-changing encounter broke through to him with a power he never thought possible, in the very place he never thought to look--his broken face.This set Russell on a journey to understand what was hindering him and others from experiencing the power of God's grace and being truly set free. During a season of starting a new church in Brooklyn, New York, he learned how the broken places of our lives can be transformed when Jesus meets us in the realities of our woundedness. God doesn't love us despite our wounds but through those very wounds. By his scars we are healed, and we can find new depths of freedom in Christ, scars and all.A warning: this journey will not be easy. A promise: it will be well worth the risk.

Since leaving local church ministry, Mike Cosper spent time examining the church's often troubled witness, its ongoing crisis of leadership, and the epidemic of narcissism, abuse, and cover-up that has continued to emerge. This book shares his journey--the shattering of dreams and the grace that restored a broken faith in the aftermath.

In this compilation of prayers written during the pandemic by priest and theologian David Taylor, you'll find prayers for morning and evening, work and play-from Advent to Lent, from birth to death. Accompanied by a series of paintings by his wife, Phaedra, Taylor's prayers show us that there isn't any part of our lives that God doesn't see.

God's kingdom is not far away, a remote and future promise. It is here, now. In this deeply joyful book, Anglican priest and retreat director Chris Webb invites us to live in the reality of God's presence in our everyday lives and experience its freedom. Enter into community, fearless honesty, the daily experience of God, and a new life of love and service in the broken world.

Grace Ji-Sun Kim explores the historical origins and theological implications of the myth of the white male God. Examining the roots of the distortion and its harmful impact on the world, Kim shows what it looks like to recover the biblical reality of a nonwhite, nongendered God, leading us to a more just faith and a better church and world.

In this eight-session study, Douglas Connelly unpacks the apostle Paul's description of the armor of God in Ephesians 6, the clearest description anywhere in Scripture of believers' resources for spiritual battle. Readers will explore the context of Ephesians 6 along with additional texts that help them dig deeper into each theme.

Life's biggest setbacks and disasters can actually be essential passageways in our relationship with God and opportunities to grow in leadership. In this illuminating guidebook, Gayle D. Beebe identifies seven crucibles--powerful catalysts for transformation--that, when embraced, shape us on our journey and become a bedrock for a better, richer faith.

Give yourself permission to slow down.Jodi Grubbs did not give herself permission for too long, falling headlong into the endless rush and exhaustion of hustle culture. After leaving her childhood home on the island of Bonaire in the Caribbean, she had assumed the rapid pace and stress of city living in the States. Soon she realized God was bidding her to a return to the "island time" of her past.In time Jodi found sanctuary and ways to care for her soul by making space for God, others, and herself. Evoking the contentment she once had in the gentle rhythms of Bonaire, she learned of another path: a path away from burnout and toward restoration. And she invites you, too, to grasp a sustainable approach to life anchored by the forced pauses of spiritual practices and an openhandedness before God. Each chapter offers slow-living shifts to help you put the concepts into practice. Begin to rest and let go of the need to keep up, as you learn to live slowly.

Continuing the tradition of nativities peopled by santons, Sylvie Vanhoozer brought these "little saints" from her native Provence to England, Scotland, and the United States. Now she invites readers to join the tradition in the rhythms of nature and the church calendar through weekly reflections and her own botanical illustrations.

The world has changed, and we minister in places we have never been in before. As the world screams for our focus, it's essential to become attentive to God, our congregation, and our community. Kevin Ford and Jim Singleton call for attentive churches with attentive leaders to discern cultural and organizational change and pivot accordingly.

Whether you consider yourself a prayer warrior, a prayer newbie, or even a prayer skeptic, Liz Ditty, an experienced spiritual director and retreat leader, invites you to engage with the story of Elijah and his encounters with God as she guides us toward a less awkward, more authentic prayer in this six-week Bible study experience.

Many Christians don't disciple others because they think it's the church leaders' responsibility. But Jesus commanded all his disciples to go and make disciples. If we're honest, many of us hesitate to disciple others because we don't feel qualified, fear we'll do more harm than good, and think we don't have time for it. Yolanda Solomon provides a practical guide to help us become disciples who are empowered by Jesus to make disciples.Through biblical exposition and personal narrative, Solomon describes the beauty of discipleship in a way that will (re)ignite your passion to disciple others. Discipleship as Holy Collaboration describes the traits of a disciple and examines how disciples are made as people encounter a love that empowers and compels them to continue Jesus' mission. She walks us through the life of Jesus, pointing out numerous examples of embodied discipleship that we can implement in our own context. Solomon describes Jesus' call to make disciples as an invitation to collaborate with God in a sacred group project. The book also includes a discussion guide and multiple step-by-step praxis activities to encourage and equip you to answer the call.

In recent years there has been a revival of interest in the Book of Common Prayer, especially the classic 1662 version. Beloved for its language and theology, the classic Prayer Book is the fountainhead for almost all later editions of the Book of Common Prayer and remains a widely recognized standard for worship in the Anglican tradition. More than simply a collection of prayers, the Book of Common Prayer offers a transformative engagement with the Bible and a framework for our spiritual lives.In How to Use the Book of Common Prayer, Samuel Bray and Drew Keane (editors of The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition) introduce the classic Prayer Book to newcomers. Beginning with a brief history and case for liturgical prayer, they walk through daily morning and evening prayer, baptism and Communion, the church year, and the Prayer Book's plan for reading the Bible. This is not only an introduction to the Prayer Book--it's a guide to letting it form your faith.

Sometimes hope can feel like a scam--a swindle, a hustle. You thought it was real, and you bought into it. But then the tables turn, and you feel like you've been hustled--like you've been had.As Christians, we often respond to the brokenness of life as if we do not actually have hope--as if the promises of God are not really certain. But Pastor Irwyn Ince assures us that not only do we have hope, but that hope cannot disappoint us because it is validated by God himself. Hope Ain't a Hustle is a clear and accessible exploration of the epistle to the Hebrews, urging us to place our confidence in the finished work of our great high priest, Jesus Christ, and showing how that confidence changes the way we live in the here and now.It's not that Christians don't face grief or anger, disappointment or deep sorrow. It's that we don't face them as those "who have no hope."

Is anxiety an unwelcome shadow over your days, bringing with it clenched teeth and an upset stomach? Alan Fadling brings counsel on how to learn a better way and who to look to for it: Jesus, "the ultimate non-anxious presence." Join Alan in releasing anxiety and taking up authentic love in A Non-Anxious Life.

Many today are experiencing social isolation, deep anxieties about the future, and various difficulties in the workplace. For too many of us, work seems tedious, painful, or meaningless. And we don't know what to do about it.Working from the Inside Out pulls back the veil on the deep emotional and vocational challenges faced by the majority of workers and shows how work can become a way to love God, serve our neighbors, and demonstrate the gospel to the world. Bringing together emotional, relational, vocational, intellectual, and civic health through the seamless thread of vocation, Jeff Haanen offers a way out of the disintegration of our culture and toward a reintegrated life lived in response to God's voice.The inner work of transformation leads to external transformation of our relationships and our work, and that good work influences our cities and the culture around us. Living from the inside out can change our work and heal our world.

365 Devotional based on the Food for the Journey Themes series from Keswick Ministries.

Sometimes the world knocks us flat on our butt.We feel stretched further than we ever thought physically, emotionally, or spiritually possible. And though we are torn up inside, we feel like we need to keep our chin up and put a good face on things. So we pretend that everything is fine, even though it's not.Even in the hardest times, strength from God rises from deep in our soul to keep us going. In this honest, inspirational, and humorous book, Katie Schnack goes deep into the hard stuff of life with no sugar coating or toxic positivity to find sustenance she could not imagine. Faced with a child's medical challenges in the midst of a global pandemic, having strength to get up in the morning and actually enjoy the day was so unlikely that she knew it had to come from God. Schnack's plucky authenticity shows us how when life is complicated, self-compassion and humor can bring healing and life.Everything Is (Not) Fine looks at the hard realities of life, but also gently reminds us of the good. Even in dark times, we can get glimpses of light.

"e;So you want to witness! I did too, but I didn't have a clue about how to do it without stubbing my toe in the process."e; So begins the book that has helped more than a million people give their faith to others. Paul Little's humor and down-to-earth approach help show how friendly and natural evangelism can really be. "e;Impossible!"e; you may say. "e;I just don't know what I'd tell people. What if I can't answer their questions? What if they think I'm just strange?"e; Paul Little has faced these sames fears and found effective and bibilcal ways to overcome them. Thoroughly revised by Marie Little and featuring a study guide for individuals or groups, How to Give Away Your Faith is as current as it is classic. Now more than ever, here is the book to excite you about giving away your faith.

Though many translations aim to make Scripture as accessible as possible, in fact it speaks to us as an ancient text to the modern world. Clever in its expression and stunning in its boldness, this daring approach to Scripture will challenge readers to experience God's Word anew without masking the distance between the text and modern readers.

The more you understand someone's history, the better you can see their humanity. Terence Lester shares the buried history of the struggles that Black people have faced against unjust systems, paving the way for the church to move beyond showing support from a distance toward long-term solidarity, advocacy, and friendship.